Day of Reckoning
by Sapphire5
Summary: Series #5.
1. Homecoming

Disclaimer: All characters affiliated with JQ: TRA are owned by Hanna Barbara. No infringement of copyrights are intended. This is a work of fiction written by a fan for other fans' enjoyment. No money was made off of this fic.

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Warnings: Overall Rating of PG. Contains mild language, and some mature themes, and mild violence. (Honestly, there isn't anything worse than what you might find in a Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys mystery.)

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A Note From the Author: 8-30-2013 Welcome to installment five of my JQ:TRA series! This story was originally completed in the summer of 2003 or 2004, but was never posted because I stopped updating my FFN account sometime in 2006/2007. Several things have spurred me into posting again (most of which are neither here nor there). I recently acquired the first season (both parts) of _The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest_ on DVD. I haven't come across Season 2 yet, but that's not much of a loss. I never much liked the changes between the first and second seasons, and I'm not talking about the animation style. Hadji is a sultan? Bandit is immortal? What? Sure, the series was always a sci-fi fantasy, but it had a solid base in reality. Season 2 lost most of what made the series great. And they dressed Jessie in pink. Really, really icky pink. Need I say more? ~Sapphire

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The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest

Day of Reckoning

By: Sapphire

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Chapter One: Homecoming

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…...

November 2000

Location: Quest Compound, Maine

It was the Monday night before Thanksgiving and getting late, but Maggie was sitting at the kitchen table, engrossed in editing one of Dr. Quest's proposals for Quest Enterprises. He had not written the proposal to gain permission for his project like most people did, but rather, it was a way of keeping paper records of the stages of his work. Not to mention, it would be useful to have on file whenever the United States Government decided to go poking it's nose in his business, which happened regularly enough. So Maggie sat, red pen in hand, scrutinizing everything from grammar to specific content.

_Objective:_

_ To adapt the Wraith 3 prototype for military aircraft use._

_Detail:_

_ Wraith 3 prototype (electronic cloaking device) limitations include size and speed of the moving unit. Should the moving unit exceed size and speed parameters, detection by security personnel or sensory equipment becomes highly probable… _

The doorbell rang. Maggie stayed where she was, sure someone else would answer it. The doorbell rang a second time, and then a third. Then it struck her. Jonny was over at Todd Wilkins' house working on a big History project. Jessie and Race were out in Illinois visiting Race's parents. Dr. Quest was in the lighthouse working in his lab. Mrs. Evans had gone home hours ago. Maggie was the only one home. She jumped up to answer the door. Bandit met her there, barking jubilantly.

"Who is it, boy?" Maggie asked the excited dog, curious, as she pulled open the door. Bandit only got this excited when it was someone he knew. She knew it couldn't be Jonny, he wouldn't ring the doorbell, and Hadji (who also wouldn't ring) wasn't due to arrive until later in the week. The little bull terrier ran out the door as soon as it was cracked open far enough for him to squeeze through. He jumped up on the tall man that was standing there. The man bent down and gave Bandit an affectionate pat on the head, picking him up as he stood up straight.

"Hey Maggie," said a familiar masculine voice. She stared at him in stunned silence. "Glad to see me?" Bandit barked, wiggling to get free.

"Price!?" she exclaimed as he put the little dog back on the ground. "What are you doing here?" she said as soon as she had collected her senses. "Of course I'm glad to see you. I missed you." Price smiled as she gave him a welcoming hug.

"Sorry to just show up unexpectedly like this. When I found out I was being sent back to the U.S. I booked the first flight available. We had twenty minutes to pack before leaving for the airport, but we made it," Price explained.

"We?" Maggie asked in confusion, slowly backing away from him.

"I brought Claudia. I wanted everyone to meet her," Price said. Maggie noticed, for the first time since opening the door, a beautiful blond woman standing behind Price in the shadows. Maggie could see Bandit sniffing suspiciously at her shoes. Price motioned for her to step forward into the light and she clasped onto his outstretched hand as she did so. "This is Claudia Müller, my fiancé."

"Fiancé?!" Maggie was utterly speechless. This was her worst nightmare turned to reality. Ever since she saw that conversation between Price and Matt in the Questworld chat room during her stay in Kansas, this had been what she feared.

"You weren't supposed to tell," Claudia said in a heavy German accent, playfully hitting Price with the glove she held in her free hand. Maggie could hardly comprehend what was happening in front of her. "We were going to surprise your family at dinner."

"I forgot, Claudia, I'm sorry," he said, realizing his blunder. "Maggie, please don't tell anyone else. We want to surprise my mother." Maggie just nodded her head mutely.

"Come- come in," Maggie managed to say after a long moment. As Price and Claudia stepped forward, Bandit stood before the woman baring the way and growling viciously at her. Claudia jumped back, startled, and let out an alarmed shriek. Maggie snapped out of her dazed state. "Bandit! Bad dog!" Maggie scolded. She scooped him up into her arms to restrain him, holding tightly to his squirming body so he couldn't get away. She had no idea what had gotten into him. "Don't be afraid of Bandit. He just doesn't know you," Maggie said to Claudia reassuringly.

Price stared at Maggie in confusion. Bandit usually liked everyone, and it wasn't like Maggie to blatantly lie. He figured she had her reasons, so he kept his thoughts to himself. "So where is everyone?" he asked instead.

"Uncle Benton's in his lab, Jonny's doing a school project at the Wilkins' and Jessie and Race are in Illinois for Thanksgiving with the Bannons. Hadji and your mom won't be here until Wednesday night. That just leaves me and Bandit here by ourselves," Maggie told him. Bandit started barking furiously as she spoke, cutting off all other attempts at conversation. Maggie had no choice but to shut him in the library.

When she returned, Price and Claudia were having what appeared to be an argument. Maggie felt she was intruding and began to back away out of the room. The couple noticed her presence before she had gotten far and their argument ceased.

"You'll want your usual room I expect," Maggie said to Price. He nodded. "Claudia can have the extra room next to mine. It'll take me about ten minutes to have them ready. You can get your things while I'm busy." Price and Claudia went to get their bags, and Maggie ran upstairs to the seldom-used guest rooms.

Claudia entered her room while Maggie was making up the bed for her. She eyed Maggie as she smoothed down the comforter with a flair of her hand. "Just give me a minute to dust the room, and it's all yours," Maggie said looking up. She couldn't miss the hard look on Claudia's face. "Is there something wrong?"

"What makes you think anything is wrong?" Claudia snapped at her. Maggie was taken aback by the distasteful look the German woman was giving her.

"I- I just thought you might not like something about your room," Maggie stammered, picking up the dust rag and wiping off the nearest surface.

"I simply expected something more…lavish in the famous Dr. Quest's home. I expected servants at the very least," Claudia told her.

"I'm sorry, my uncle doesn't keep servants. There is a housekeeper who comes in five days a week. Mrs. Evans manages the household and takes care of things we don't have time to do for ourselves," Maggie said without any sympathy.

"Hmmm," Claudia breathed with raised eyebrows.

"I'm done now. The room is yours. The bathroom is down the hall and to the right. There are plenty of clean towels in the cabinet. The kitchen is down the stairs and to the left. That's where I'll be the rest of the evening if you should need anything. Any questions?" Maggie asked. Claudia slowly shook her head. Maggie left the room with relief.

"Where are you going?" Price asked as Maggie passed by his guest room.

"To the kitchen. I was busy with some work when you got here. I'm going to see if I can finish it sometime tonight," she answered.

"I'm hungry. I'll come with you," Price said. They walked down the stairs together, a comfortable silence settling over them. In the kitchen, Maggie sat down at the table and went back to her editing. Price rummaged around in the refrigerator for a while, then made himself a sandwich. He sat down across from Maggie to eat.

"What's that?" he asked between bites.

"It's a proposal for Uncle Benton's most recent project. I have to finish editing it tonight so he can do the final draft before morning. Then I have to take it over to the Quest Enterprises branch office in town tomorrow and clean it up, copy it, and send it on it's merry way to the corporate offices," Maggie said.

"You sound pretty busy," Price said with a laugh.

"Not really. After that's done, I'm free the rest of the day. I just wanted to get all my work done so I could have the rest of the week to get ready for Thanksgiving. Hey, would you like to come along with me tomorrow?" Maggie asked. "I could use some help with the groceries, and I have to pick up something for Race since he's in Illinois and can't do it himself. Jonny'll be in school, and Uncle Benton will be busy in the lab all day."

"If you don't mind me tagging along after you," Price agreed.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll get some hard labor out of you. It won't be a day at the park, I guarantee it," Maggie replied with a mischievous laugh, turning back to the proposal.

Claudia appeared at the door. From the moment the blond beauty entered the room, all eyes seemed to be magnetically drawn to her. Maggie was no exception, and she watched her from the corner of her eye. She could see the contemptuous look the woman's ice blue eyes were directing her way. Maggie could tell the woman clearly didn't like her very much, it was obvious as Claudia approached the table.

"Here you are," she cooed sweetly to Price. He looked up with a smile as she lay a hand on his shoulder and took a seat beside him.

"Did you get settled in upstairs?" Price asked.

"Just fine, darling," she purred. "I see you've gotten into the refrigerator again."

"I haven't had anything since dinner on the plane, and I hardly ate any of it. You know how bad the plane food was," Price told her with a frown.

"If you say so," Claudia said. "So, what are our plans for tomorrow?"

"I'm helping Maggie with some errands. It won't take all day, though," Price told her quickly. "I thought you and I could go out for the evening."

"You aren't leaving me here alone are you?" Claudia asked, biting her lower lip with worry.

"Not for long," Price said. "You would be bored out of your mind if you came with us, and we'll be back after lunch sometime, I'm sure."

"I won't let you go," Claudia said with a pout. "I won't let you leave me here with nothing to do and no one to talk to. I can't believe you would be so mean. This is a strange place, and these people are strangers."

"Claudia," Price said, carefully choosing his words. "I'm not going to leave you here all day. Only for the morning. And you aren't among strangers. These people are almost family."

"But I want to be near you," Claudia pleaded, looking at Price with puppy dog eyes and hanging on his arm.

"Mrs. Evans will be here tomorrow. She'll be glad to keep you company, I'm sure," Price said. Claudia was about to argue when a shout came from the front door.

"Hey Maggie, I'm home." It was Jonny.

"Excuse me," Maggie said to Price and Claudia. "I'll be right there!" she shouted to Jonny. She ran out of the room and headed to the living room.

"Jonny!" she said urgently, twisting her hands uncertainly. "Jonny, Price is here."

"Really?! That's great-"

"You don't understand. He's brought someone with him. He brought his fiancé." Jonny stared.

"Fiancé?" he asked.

"That's right," Maggie said. "Price accidentally mentioned it to me. The news was supposed to be a surprise for Thursday. Jonny, I had to tell you. I hope you can understand-"

"I know," Jonny said, holding a hand up to silence her. "I used to think you and he- but I guess not." For one second Jonny was certain Maggie was going to cry. She didn't. "Are you going to be okay?" Maggie was silent until he touched her shoulder lightly.

"I'll be fine. Now that you know how things stand-"

"Don't worry. I'll rescue you if you need it. Just let me know." Maggie smiled at her tall, bleach-blond cousin. He gave her a lopsided grin in return.

"Where are they? I want to say hello. Did you tell Dad?"

"They're in the kitchen. I didn't get the chance to tell Uncle Benton. He's been in the lab all evening," Maggie said as they headed for the kitchen.

"I'll tell him after I say hi." Maggie nodded, and led the way into the kitchen. When he saw her, Jonny was immediately struck by the beautiful woman sitting at the table next to Price. "Price," he said, "Good to see you again." The two shook hands in greeting. "This must be Claudia. Maggie just told me you were here." Jonny shook Claudia's hand as well. "I thought you were stuck in Germany indefinitely."

"I got transferred back to the U.S." Price said. "Mother mentioned she was coming here for Thanksgiving so I flew out right away. I brought Claudia with. I thought everyone would like to meet my girlfriend." Jonny just nodded.

"Why did you get transferred back?" Jonny asked.

"Special project," Price told him. "I'm supposed to work with some scientist somewhere on the east coast. My orders won't come through for another few weeks. Until then, I'm on leave."

"Maybe we'll see more of you from now on," Jonny said with a grin, "and not by webcam either." The two of them laughed. "Hey, I have to go talk to my dad. I'll see you later." Price nodded, and Jonny headed out the kitchen door and up the path toward the lighthouse.

"Price, I'm bored. Show me around the house, please. If I'm to be left here all day tomorrow, I should at least know where things are," Claudia persuaded.

"Sure," Price said. "If you will excuse us, Maggie."

"Of course," she replied. "I still have work to do. I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow. Let's see, that would be 0600 hours to you, and six a.m. to the rest of us." Price laughed.

"See you then," and he and Claudia wandered off, leaving Maggie alone in the kitchen.

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To be continued…

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	2. Trouble Brewing

Disclaimer: Please see chapter one.

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Warnings: Overall Rating of PG.

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A Note From the Author: 8-30-2013 As established with the previous stories in this series, a two chapter post to get us started. Thank-you for reading! Enjoy! ~Sapphire

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The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest

By: Sapphire

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Chapter Two: Trouble Brewing

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Location: Quest Compound, Maine

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It was the middle of the night, and Maggie was awake, unsure why she had been disturbed from her sleep. Her gaze made a circle around the room, looking for anything unusual. Glancing past the window, she saw big fluffy flakes of snow floating gently to the ground below. "_The first snowfall of the year_," she thought to herself. "_It'll be gone by morning_." She lay silently in her bed, listening for any unusual sound that may have been the cause of her disturbed sleep. There wasn't a sound. She wondered if maybe it was _too_ quiet.

After a few more minutes of careful observation, Maggie decided to get up and go downstairs for some hot cocoa. She climbed out of bed and walked barefoot across the room to the door and slipped into the dark hallway, down the stairs, and into the kitchen where she turned on the light above the sink. Rummaging in the cupboards, she pulled out the cocoa mix and a mug. As she waited for the milk to heat, she walked over to the kitchen door to see if the snow was accumulating on the ground outside. Stepping barefoot onto the rug, she jumped back, stifling a cry of surprise. The rug was soaking wet and cold. Maggie looked down and saw the remains of half-melted snowy footprints. Someone had come in from outside recently.

Wondering if it may have been her uncle coming in late, Maggie checked the shoe rack by the door. His shoes and his coat were completely dry. All the things kept by the door were dry. Now she was curious as to who had been taking a midnight stroll in the freshly falling snow. She didn't have the chance to hypothesize. The milk she had put on the stove was boiling, and she went to make her hot cocoa. She decided the mystery could wait until morning.

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Maggie was up, out of bed, and in the shower as soon as her alarm clock went off. She quickly put on a flower print, knee-length skirt and a pale green sweater. She made herself presentable and readied herself for the day. Then she headed down to breakfast.

"Good morning," Benton Quest said to her when she entered the kitchen. He was sitting at the table with a newspaper and drinking a fresh cup of coffee.

"Good morning, Uncle Benton," Maggie said giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Isn't that yesterday's paper?"

"Yes," Benton replied. "I didn't get a chance to read it yet." He looked at his watch. "I still have twenty minutes until today's paper arrives." Maggie laughed.

"Did you have a late night in the lab last night?" she asked next. "You still hadn't come in when I went to bed."

"I was in by ten-thirty. I made sure I was. I didn't want another one of your lectures on getting the proper amounts of sleep," Dr. Quest told her.

"Well, with your new project, and absentminded as you can be, someone has to look after you," Maggie told him in defense to the teasing expression on her uncle's face.

"And I appreciate it," he said. "I hear Price flew in unexpectedly last night. How is he?"

"He's great. He brought his girlfriend, Claudia, with him," Maggie scowled a little, then changed the subject. "You know, Price said something about being reassigned to some special project here in the states. Something on the east coast. You have contacts. I was curious if you knew anything about it."

"I should say I know a great deal about the project," Dr. Quest said with a twinkle in his eye. "I requested he be assigned to my project."

"You! Why didn't you say anything? Why has he been assigned here?"

"I knew the government wouldn't allow me to continue this project unless they had someone on the inside. Price is more than qualified. He knows fighter planes inside and out, from an engineering standpoint. Also, he's familiar with Questworld and VR."

"He must be here to help you with the Wraith 3 prototype. Is he going to be staying here with us?" Benton nodded.

"Yes, and I finished the proposal, by the way," Dr. Quest said. "As for Price staying with us, the Air Force had little choice in that. There isn't a base for hundreds of miles."

"Well, you're one for keeping secrets," Maggie said as she started pulling things out of the cupboards for breakfast. "How do eggs and toast sound?"

"Sounds good," he replied. "Now, where is Jonny. He's supposed to be down here helping you."

"Right here, Dad," Jonny said from the kitchen door. "I forgot to turn on my alarm clock. Bandit had to wake me up, and you know how well that goes."

"Poor Bandit!" Maggie said with pity when she saw the little bull terrier. "You deserve a treat." She gave Bandit one of his bacon flavored treats from the drawer, and Bandit made himself her best friend for the day out of gratitude. He followed at her heels as she moved around the kitchen getting breakfast ready.

"Traitor," Jonny told his dog. Bandit didn't even acknowledge Jonny's existence.

"Do you know if Price is up yet?" Maggie asked her cousin. "He's supposed to help me out today with all the errands I have to run."

"Yeah, he was looking for towels earlier. Apparently there weren't any in his and Matt's bathroom," Jonny said.

"Oops, I forgot to put some in there last night," Maggie said. "I should make a note to Mrs. Evans about our early guests. Perhaps she can get the towels for Matt and Price's bathroom while we're all gone today."

"Good morning," Price said entering the kitchen. He was dressed in jeans and a sweater and his hair was still damp from his shower. "What's for breakfast?"

"Eggs, toast, orange juice, and bananas," Maggie said. "Or, if you prefer, there's yogurt in the fridge."

"A hot breakfast is more appetizing on a cold morning like this one," Price said.

"Eggs it is," Maggie said.

"Where is Claudia this morning?" Dr. Quest asked at the absence of the houseguest he had not yet met. "I was hoping I'd get a chance to say hello before I head out to the lab."

"She likes to sleep late," Price said. "I stopped to see her early this morning. She says she's coming down with a cold and wants to spend the day in bed, so you might not meet her until tomorrow."

"I'm so sorry to hear that," Dr. Quest said. "I hope she feels better by supper. Mrs. Evans has a nice roast on the menu."

"Jonny, why don't you finish making breakfast. It's almost done," Maggie said. "I'm going to make some tea and bring it up to Claudia. It'll help with her cold."

"Okay, but hurry. If you're late for breakfast, there might not be any left for you," Jonny said eyeing the eggs with hunger. Maggie laughed.

"I will," she said and hurried from the room a few minutes later with a fresh cup of steaming hot tea.

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Maggie tapped on the closed door of Claudia's room. Getting no response, she slowly opened the door and slipped into the room. She set the cup of tea on a table by the door and checked to see if she had remembered to put out the extra blanket for Claudia's bed. It was still folded and neatly hanging over the back of the desk chair. Her gaze was drawn then to the chair in the corner. A heavy down jacket was haphazardly hanging over the arm of the chair and a hat and scarf had been carelessly dropped on top of it. A pair of goulashes sat on the floor in front of it and there was a wet stain on the carpet under them.

"_So she's the one who was out late last night_," Maggie thought to herself. "_I wonder what she was doing_?"

"Who said you could come in?" a muffled and unfriendly voice demanded. Maggie spun around. Two ice blue eyes stared back at her from between the blankets on the bed. "Are you deaf? Who said you could come in?"

"I heard you weren't feeling well so I brought you some tea," Maggie said. "When you didn't answer, I thought you might not have heard me."

"I heard you. I chose not to answer. Now go away," Claudia said. Maggie stood by the table speechless for a moment. She couldn't believe how rude this woman was.

"Alright," Maggie said finally. "I'm going. I'll leave the tea here on the table in case you want it later." With that, Maggie turned and exited the room as fast as she could. Once outside the door, she stopped and leaned against the wall across the hall, wondering what exactly that woman's problem was.

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"Took you long enough," Jonny said when Maggie returned to the kitchen. "You'll have to grab something to take with you. We'll be late if you don't." He was putting on his jacket as he spoke.

"Okay, just let me spread some peanut butter on a piece of this toast and make a sandwich," Maggie said hurrying over to the table. "Uncle Benton, do you think you can handle the cleanup detail?"

"Yes, I think I can manage," he said with a laughing smile. "Here, don't forget the proposal." He handed Maggie a large envelope with the paper inside. "Hurry and go. You're late as it is, and don't let Jonny drive too fast."

"We'll make it on time, and Jonny won't drive too fast. I'm driving today," Maggie said.

"You are not," Jonny said.

"I am," Maggie replied with determination.

"You can't drive without the keys," Jonny said dangling them high above her head, far out of reach.

"That's what you think," Maggie told him. "Hadji showed me how to hotwire the car." Maggie ducked under Jonny's raised arm and out the door, making a mad dash toward the garage. "And I'm going to beat you there!" she shouted behind her.

"No fair!" Jonny shouted back and raced after her.

"Wait for me!" Price called then shrugged before chasing after the two of them.

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…...

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Location: Quest Enterprises Branch Office, Camden, Maine

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Maggie pulled into the office parking lot in Camden after she had swung through Rockport and dropped Jonny off at the high school. She and Price got out of the car and locked the doors. As they headed for the building, Maggie looked up at the overcast sky. The clouds were dark and heavy with snow. She shivered and pulled her jacket tighter around her shoulders, then started walking faster. She wished she hadn't put on a skirt that morning.

"Looks like snow," Price said, mimicking Maggie's thoughts, his own eyes turned to the sky. "Could be a storm brewing."

"The weather report said the storm would stay out at sea," Maggie said as they reached the front door. "It sure is cold, though." Price nodded, then pulled the door open for Maggie and let her inside the warm building. Maggie took Price up to her office on the third floor.

"Good Morning, Maggie," said a tallish, darkly handsome man as they went through an area filled with cubicles.

"Good morning, Rich," she said cheerfully. "This is Price, a good friend of mine. He's spending Thanksgiving with my family. He came along to help with some stuff I need to get done today."

"You mean the shipment Mr. Bannon is expecting, don't you," Rich replied with a knowing smile. He winked a blue eye at Maggie. "I hope your friend has clearance. You know how Mr. Bannon is."

"He's got clearance," Maggie assured.

"He looks cheerful," Rich observed. "You haven't told him much, have you?"

"Nope. Price doesn't know what he's in for." Rich laughed hysterically as he headed off to his desk with a cup of coffee in hand.

"Why do I get the feeling I'm in way over my head?" Price asked wearily.

"Because you are," Maggie said with a laugh and led him to her own office.

"You have a secretary?" Price asked as they entered an outer office area with a door leading to yet another office.

"No, I am the secretary," Maggie laughed. "That big office belongs to my uncle. He uses it very rarely since he's in the lab most of the time, but there are days when he has to come in for one reason or another. It's usually corporate stuff that brings him here. And on rarer occasions, he has to make the drive to Bangor to the corporate offices where he has an even bigger corner office."

"I never realized how extensive Quest Enterprises was," Price said.

"Oh, this is just a branch office. It's only real use is that it's convenient for Uncle Benton. The people here deal directly with what Uncle Benton is currently involved with. This way he can easily get hold of people with the information he needs."

"I see," Price said. "Well, is there anything that needs doing that I can help out with here?"

"Um, yes," Maggie said thinking. "I need the plants watered in both offices since we'll be gone a few days. Then there is a filing cabinet drawer that needs to be reorganized. I tore through it looking for a misplaced file I needed in a hurry last week. By the time you finish that, I should be about done with this," she said indicating the folder Dr. Quest had given her earlier. Price sighed, then nodded.

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It only took Maggie two hours to finish up with her uncle's proposal. Once that was done, she cleaned up her work space so it was ready to go the following Monday. She decided to make a quick call to the house to check in.

"Hello, Mrs. Evans," she said when the cheerful housekeeper answered the phone.

"Hello, Maggie," she replied. "What do you need, dear?"

"Actually, that's what I was going to ask you. Is there anything you or the house needs that I can pick up while I'm out and about?"

"I already thought of that," Mrs. Evans replied. "I put an order in at the Rockport Food Mart. They'll have everything ready and waiting for pick up when you get there."

"Oh, how wonderful. We ought to be home sooner than I expected, then. Thank-you," Maggie said appreciatively.

"It's all well and good, too," Mrs. Evans said. "The radio's been saying that storm off the coast might turn and come inland after all. I'll feel a lot better once you and that young man are home safe."

"Don't worry, Mrs. Evans," Maggie said. "I'll drive carefully, and we'll be home in plenty of time."

"All right. Bye, dear," Mrs. Evans said.

"Good-bye," Maggie replied, then hung up the phone. "Okay, Price, let's get going. We have a lot to do, and I don't want to be out longer than I have to. Mrs. Evans says there's bad weather on the way." Price nodded and they grabbed their coats and headed out of the office.

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…...

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Location: Quest Enterprises Warehouse, Camden, Maine

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Maggie drove to the Quest warehouse on the other side of Camden. Inside she parked the car right next to several other Quest vehicles. She pulled the keys from the ignition, got out of the car, and hung them on a board in a small office in the corner of the warehouse.

"We'll have to switch to a van to haul everything," Maggie said. "It won't fit in the car."

"What exactly are we picking up?" Price asked finally.

"Surveillance equipment and some kind of defensive weapons for the compound. Race is in the middle of upgrading compound security. I wasn't sure why until last night. Dr. Quest's new project has military written all over it. That's reason enough to step up security at the compound."  
"Military? How do you figure?" Price asked.

"You'll know more about it than I do soon enough. You know that project you were sent Stateside for? I asked Uncle Benton if he had any ideas about it. He told me he requested you," Maggie replied.

"You mean I'm going to be working with him?" Price was stunned, and excited.

"Yeah," Maggie replied. "You'll probably live at the compound, too." Price was grinning ear to ear, and Maggie had to smile too. "Okay, everyone's happy. Now let's get this work done and go home." She pointed to a stack of crates and boxes off to the side of the warehouse doors. Price groaned when he saw the number, and the weight printed on the shipping labels. "Cheer up," Maggie said. "When we're done, I'll treat you to lunch."

"It'll take a whole lot of lunches to make up for _that_," Price said, then they got to work.

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…...

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Location: The Coffee Break Café, Rockport, Maine

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Maggie and Price were out of Camden by eleven thirty and headed for a Rockport café called The Coffee Break Cafe for some hot soup and sandwiches. As they stepped inside, someone called out Maggie's name from the other side of the restaurant. Maggie looked over, and was shocked to see a friend of hers.

"Ryan! What on earth are you doing here?" she exclaimed. He was making a bee-line for her, and when he reached her, he gave her a big hug. She was more than happy to hug back.

"I'm on my way to New Brunswick for the holiday. I'm originally from upstate New York, you remember, but my parents moved to Canada last year. I'm going to spend Thanksgiving with them. I thought I'd drive through Maine, and detour through Rockport to see if I could find you, and well, I guess you found me."

"Ryan, I want you to meet a friend of mine, Price Hovand. Price, this is Ryan Walters. He was one of the guys Jessie and I met in Montana last summer."

"Were you the one with the sprained ankle, broken leg, cracked rib, or dislocated shoulder?" Price asked with a laugh.

"I'm Mr. Broken Leg. Nice to meet you," Ryan replied with a laugh. "Hey, why don't you two come join me at my table. The waitress hasn't taken my order yet." Price and Maggie followed Ryan to his table and took a seat.

"I can't believe you came all this way just to see me and Jess," Maggie said as she looked at the soup specials. "Isn't it out of your way?"

"Not really. Rockport is only a short way off the U.S. highway. I always drive that route." Maggie didn't believe that one bit. It would be quicker to take the interstate. "It wasn't much trouble at all, and it's worth it. I haven't seen you since lunch that last day in Montana."

"Well, you won't be able to catch Jessie. She's in Illinois with her dad and grandparents for Thanksgiving. She's going to be disappointed that she missed you," Maggie said.

"Well, you can tell her that I'm sorry I missed her, too," Ryan said. Maggie smiled at his disappointment. He really was sorry he'd missed Jessie. The waitress came then to take their orders. After she left, they talked some more, having a nice conversation over their lunch. As they were finishing up, Ryan said he wanted to ask her something.

"Maggie, the guys want to do a ski weekend in Vermont in January. Do you want to join us? Blain, Scott, and Mick want you and Jessie both to come," Ryan said, "and your family can come too."

"Well, I have my work to think of-" Maggie started.

"Come on, say yes. Me and the guys miss you," Ryan said. "You know you want to. Scott says you miss us, too."

"Oh, all right," Maggie said. "E-mail me and we'll work out the details later. Happy now?"

"Good," Ryan said with a satisfied smirk as they got up from their chairs. They put on their coats and headed for the door. "Scott said you wouldn't agree unless someone came to see you in person."

"Tell Scott that was a dirty trick on his part," Maggie laughed. "But he was right. I probably wouldn't have agreed if you hadn't come in person." She looked at him accusingly. "That at least explains why you came so far out of your way. You always take the U.S. highway, my eye." Ryan laughed, and they stepped out onto the sidewalk in front of the cafe and were hit by an icy blast of wind and swirling snow.

"Look at it snow," Ryan said.

"Yeah, and if it weren't for this cold wind, I'd say it's beautiful out here," Price said.

"You be careful driving, Ryan," Maggie cautioned. "If it gets bad, find yourself a motel for the night, promise me?"

"I promise," Ryan said. "I gotta get going." Maggie gave him a hug good-bye.

"I'll see you in January," Maggie called as he headed for his car.

"Bye, Maggie," Ryan replied, then climbed into his car. Maggie waved as she watched him drive out into the street and headed out of town.

"Nice guy," Price said as they headed for the van.

"He's great," Maggie said. "Now, lets go pick up the groceries at the Food Mart, shall we?"

"Yeah," Price said. He looked up at the sky. The clouds were still getting darker, and the wind was picking up. "I hope this weather doesn't get too much worse. We'll have a blizzard on our hands if it does."

"Come on, now, before we freeze."

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…...

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Location: Rockport, Maine

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It was an hour later before Price and Maggie were able to leave the Rockport Food Mart and head for home. "The snow is coming down pretty hard," Price commented as Maggie started the van and pulled out of the parking space.

"Yeah," Maggie said. "I'll have to be careful. Visibility is pretty bad." They were silent as Maggie pulled out of the parking lot. They became solemn as they drove farther from the center of town. The roads were getting worse the farther they went. When they reached the highway, it was obvious it hadn't been plowed. Maggie could barely tell where the tires of the cars before her had tread.

As the storm continued to worsen, it became darker and harder to see. They hadn't met a single car. Maggie was beginning to wonder if they should have found some place to wait out the storm in town. Driving down a hill, the van hit an icy patch beneath the snow and skidded across the highway into the ditch on the other side. After coming to a jerking halt, Maggie and Price looked at each other a moment, assuring themselves they were both okay, then Maggie cut the engine.

"Let's get out and take a look," Price suggested. Maggie nodded, and they both climbed out and plodded through the snow back up onto the highway. "That doesn't look good," Price said, shaking his head. The van was at the bottom of a steep, slushy, and slippery ditch. It wasn't coming out anytime soon.

"Unless someone comes along," Maggie said, "we're stuck here until the road is cleared and a tow truck can get us out."

"I don't think anyone will be coming along here any time soon," Price said. "Anyone with sense wouldn't be out driving in this weather."

"Are you saying that I'm stupid?" Maggie accused.

"No," Price said. "When we left, the roads weren't this bad. How were we supposed to know we'd get stuck?" Maggie sighed as she looked up at the darkening sky. It was only one thirty in the afternoon, and already it was getting dark. The snow was swirling down, and a biting wind was starting to howl. Things didn't look good.

"I'll get the blankets out of the back," Maggie said, "We'll need to stay warm. I'll get the survival kit, too. Looks like we'll be here a while." Price nodded and followed her to the van.

"See if there's any food. The groceries we picked up can't be eaten raw. We might be here a few days-"

"Don't even say that," Maggie told him. "You'll jinx us for sure." She opened the back door of the van and rummaged around. After a few minutes of searching, she didn't look too happy.

"Well?" Price asked. She frowned even more unhappily. "Don't tell me, it's not there, is it?" Maggie slowly shook her head. Price sighed. "What now? Is there anything we can use?" Maggie nodded.

"There are blankets. I'm pretty sure, anyway. Up front." They closed up the back of the van and climbed in through the side door. Maggie crouched on the floor and opened a compartment under the seat that Price hadn't even known was there. She pulled several blankets from it.

"And now we just wait," Price said staring out a window that was quickly being covered with a blanket of snow. Maggie didn't say anything. She could tell he wasn't in the mood for any talk.

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…...

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To be continued…

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	3. Rescue

Disclaimer: Please see chapter one.

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Warnings: Overall Rating of PG.

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A Note From the Author: 9-24-13 I don't have much to say, except, enjoy the new chapter! ~Sapphire

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The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest

Day of Reckoning

By: Sapphire

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Chapter Three: Rescue

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…...

"I don't like this," Dr. Quest said, looking out the window at the driveway for the hundredth time.

"Me either, Pop," Jonny said. "I didn't think anything about Maggie and Price when they cancelled school this afternoon. But it wasn't bad when the bus came through."

"I don't like this," Dr. Quest said again. "They should be here by now."

"Not much we can do," Jonny said. "We just have to remember they can take care of themselves." Dr. Quest sighed wearily. They remained silent until they were interrupted by someone coming down the stairs.

"Are they here?" Claudia asked, as she sauntered into the room.

"Not yet," Jonny said.

"Price is never away from me so long," Claudia whined. "He should never have left me here alone." Jonny and Dr. Quest exchanged a glance. She wasn't the kind of girl they expected Price to be seeing. They both sighed as she continued to complain.

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…...

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It got colder as time dragged on. Maggie and Price were huddled under a blanket each. Price had ceased looking out the windows since they were completely covered now. He was bored, they both were. There was an endless amount of empty time stretching before them.

"I bet Uncle Benton is worried," Maggie said when her stomach growled. "It must be close to supper time."

"Claudia can't be happy about my absence either. She doesn't like to let me out of her sight very long. She's afraid some other girl is going to steal me away. She'll be happier once we're married."

"So you really are marrying her," Maggie said. She just couldn't quite picture the two of them together. They didn't quite fit.

"Yeah," Price said. "Why do you think I wouldn't?"

"I don't know," Maggie said noncommittally. "I just never pictured you running off to Germany and coming home with a fiancé."

"You knew about her," Price reminded.

"Yeah, you told me about her months ago, but you were just dating. The next thing I know, you're standing on my doorstep and she's your fiancé," Maggie countered. "It was just a surprise is all." An uncomfortable silence fell over them. Maggie cleared her throat when she couldn't stand it any longer and looked at her watch. "It's ten minutes to six," she said. Suddenly her face lit up. "Hey! I forgot I had my watch!"

"So?" Price asked.

"It has a homing device. If I turn it on, Uncle Benton will be able to pinpoint our location via satellite," Maggie explained.

"Well, hurry up and turn it on," Price said.

"I can send an S.O.S. if we get into big trouble," Maggie told him as she activated the homing device.

"That's good to know," Price said. "I just hope we don't have to use it."

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…...

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"Maggie Hardy has activated Homing Device 06," Iris' voice interrupted the quiet of the house. Dr. Quest and Jonny looked up from their dinner. Claudia looked up as well, only she was looking around, trying to see where the voice was coming from. Dr. Quest got up and went to the wall, sliding open a panel that concealed a computer terminal.

"Iris, display her geographical location," Dr. Quest asked.

"Pinpointing location, now," Iris said. "Detailing map, now." An image appeared on the screen before Dr. Quest.

"Switch image to the living room television," Dr. Quest ordered. He and Jonny both headed for the room across the hall. Claudia got up and followed behind them curiously.

"Changing location," Iris said, and they could see the television automatically turn on and the image of the map appear on it's screen.

"She's on the coastal highway, just before the cliffs," Jonny said. "She and Price must have gotten stuck. Is there an S.O.S. message?"

"No, just the homing device," Dr. Quest replied with relief. "That means they're just fine. Probably stuck, like you say."

"Should I go get them with a snowmobile?" Jonny asked. "I only have to cut through the woods."

"No, not in this weather," Dr. Quest said. "Maybe if Race were home, but I don't want to chance you getting lost in the storm. It's bad enough Maggie and Price are out there."

"But Pop," Jonny argued.

"No, Jonny," Dr. Quest said sternly. "And don't ask again." He turned to their guest. "Claudia, how about we go back to the dining room?" She nodded and followed him from the room. Jonny stood there a minute, then chased after them.

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…...

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Maggie was shivering, she was so cold. She had two blankets over her, but she was no longer warm. She huddled in a ball in the corner of the seat, trying to keep warmer by keeping the heat confined to a smaller space. She had to admit that it wasn't working.

Price could hear her chattering teeth. He was cold himself, but not that cold. He turned to look at her. He could see only a huddled mass of blankets with her face looking out.

"Scoot in closer to me," Price said as he threw his blanket off.

"W-w-what?" she asked through chattering teeth.

"It's freezing, and you have to warm up," he said. She floundered around, trying to get untangled, and he had to help unwind the blankets from around her. She was shaking so hard it was difficult for her to move, but she cuddled up next to him. He pulled her bare legs over his lap to keep them warmer, then wrapped them both up in the three blankets. "Is that better?" Price asked after a few minutes. Maggie nodded.

"Much." She wasn't shaking as hard, but her teeth still chattered some. "I'm tired, though," she said.

"You can't go to sleep until you're warm," Price said. "It's too dangerous. You know that." She nodded.

"I know," she said. They sat there listening to the radio for a few minutes. "Thank you," she said softly.

"For what?" Price asked.

"For taking such good care of me," Maggie said. "You always do." Price didn't know how to respond to that, so he didn't say anything. They just sat there keeping warm, listening to the radio.

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…...

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The temperature was now below zero and it would grow colder before the storm was over. Dr. Quest hoped that Maggie and Price were keeping warm. He hoped that their van was stocked for emergencies, and that someone had managed to get the emergency blankets in it before the weather turned cold. His thoughts were interrupted as his son entered the library, Bandit trotting along at his heels.

"Hi, Pop," Jonny said. "You can't sleep either, huh?"

"No," Dr. Quest said with a shake of his head.

"The storm won't stop soon, either, will it?" Jonny asked. Dr. Quest shook his head again. "I still think we should go out on the snowmobiles and get them," Jonny said. Dr. Quest sighed and shook his head.

"Not until the storm blows over," he said. "We just can't risk it. Getting lost on the snowmobiles would be worse than the predicament they are in. At least they have a dry shelter."

"Okay, Dad," Jonny said. "I'm going into Questworld, though. I want to use the weather tracker Hadji and Jessie were working on. This storm has to break up, and when it does, I'm going after them."

"Alright, Jonny," Dr. Quest said with a sigh. "Just don't go get them without me." Jonny gave his father the lop-sided grin he was famous for, then grabbed a snack and headed to the living room so he could put the weather tracker on the big screen television.

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…...

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Claudia sat in her room at her own personal laptop. She was hooked into the internet and chatting with someone on a secure channel. She sat and waited for her chat partner's next message to come in.

User 1: Do you have the prototype?

User 2: No, but I know where it is.

User 1: Where?

User 2: In the lab. I saw it there.

User 1: Security?

User 2: Poor, but it will be easily missed.

User 1: Your status?

User 2: Watchful. I will get my opportunity.

User 1: Good. What of the girl?

User 2: Easy to take care of.

User 1: A convincing accident?

User 2: Of course. You can count on me.

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…...

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Maggie woke up all warm and cozy. She yawned, then opened her eyes. It was dark, and she couldn't remember where she was for a moment.

"You're awake," Price said next to her. She realized she was curled up beside him, held tight in his embrace, inside the van that was stuck in the ditch on the side of the coastal highway. Maggie almost couldn't breathe, but managed a nod. Price let go of her and started to dig himself out from under the blankets.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"It's one in the morning," Price told her, "no one is going to be coming out here any time soon. I'm tired, and I know you are. I'm going to stretch out on this seat and get some sleep."

"Good idea," Maggie said with a yawn. "But there would be more room if we fold the seat down."

"The seat folds down?" Price asked.

"Step aside, and let me show you," Maggie told him. They got up from the seat and Maggie reached down on the side of the seat and pulled a lever. Maggie took the seat and pulled it toward the front of the van and it slid forward, the back rest falling down flat beside the seat. "Magic," Maggie said with a giggle.

"Most vans don't do that," Price said.

"I know," Maggie said. "Race rigged it a while back. He was driving a lot then between New York and Bangor. I'm not sure why, only my uncle and Race know. But the nights would get late, and Race would pull off at a rest stop and pull this thing out and sleep. There are even pillows in the compartment under the seat where I got the blankets."

"I'm hungry, and we have no food, but to have someplace comfortable to sleep. That almost makes up for the hunger," Price said. Maggie laughed and the two of them fixed up a comfortable bed. "Good night, Maggie," Price said as he settled himself under the three blankets.

"Good night," Maggie replied as she curled up next to him and went to sleep.

Despite how tired he was, Price lay awake a long time listening to the sound of Maggie's even breathing. He could feel her arm against his own, and for some reason, the fact that it didn't bother him bothered him. She was not Claudia, and her nearness should have bothered him, but it didn't and that was what had him so wide awake.

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…...

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"Dad!" Jonny called from the living room. Dr. Quest hurried in there from the library. He found both Jonny and Claudia present.

"Yes, Jonny, what is it?" Dr. Quest asked.

"The radar is showing clearer weather on it's way." Jonny pointed to a band on the radar that was a green color, indicating lighter snow than the red and yellow bands they had been experiencing the last twelve hours.

"What about the wind?" Dr. Quest asked. "If it's still blowing, it won't make any difference. It'll still be white-out conditions."

"I've been watching that," Jonny said, "It's slowly starting to die."

"The snowmobiles are gassed up and ready to go?" Dr. Quest stated more than he asked.

"Jess, Maggie, and I made sure of it last week when we thought we were going to get that five inches of snow that never fell," Jonny told him. "So, are we going?"

Claudia was listening to the discussion carefully. She couldn't believe her luck. It sounded to her as if they were going to leave her all alone in the house for a good half hour at least.

"Looks that way," Dr. Quest said with a sigh. "Once the weather clears."

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…...

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Maggie sighed wearily as she lay curled up next to Price. She didn't know how much more she could take: being so close to him knowing full well she couldn't have him was almost painful. But, she knew, it was far easier than being at home watching him with Claudia. That was uncomfortable on top of being difficult. She wondered if she could stand living under the same roof with him while he and her uncle worked on their project. She sighed again.

"Something bothering you?" Price asked. Maggie started. She had thought he was asleep.

"Nothing of immediate concern," Maggie told him.

"Do you want to talk about it anyway?" Price asked.

"No," Maggie said quietly. "It's fine."

"If you say so," Price said. He didn't believe her.

"I say so," Maggie replied, knowing full well he didn't believe her. She didn't care. She couldn't tell him. How could she? He was marrying Claudia. Jessie had been right. She had waited too long to tell him how she felt, and now she had lost him. Price started to untangle himself from the blankets. "What are you doing?" Maggie asked.

"I'm going outside. It's morning, and I'm going to go stand up on the highway and watch for a plow or a car or a snowmobile, or something to come along. Someone's got to be up there to flag someone down. How else are they going to know we're under all this snow?"

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…...

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Jonny sped through the woods surrounding the compound as fast as he reasonably could under the poor conditions. His father was right behind him, easily keeping up with his son. They were headed for the costal highway where Price and Maggie were stranded in their car. As they came upon the highway, Jonny and Dr. Quest slowed, and both consulted their communicator watches so they could trace the device coming from Maggie's identical watch.

"They should be another quarter mile up ahead along the highway," Dr. Quest called to Jonny over the hum of their engines. Jonny nodded and they buzzed along the highway toward the blip on their watches.

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…...

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"You were out awfully long," Maggie said when Price finally came in from the cold. She wrapped him in blankets she had kept warm while he was gone. "You're frozen." She took one of his hands between her own to warm it.

Price could feel his hand start to tingle. He wasn't sure if it was the blood flow returning to his numb fingers, or the fact that she was touching him. He pulled his hand away.

"I'll be fine," he said. Price saw the hurt look on her face and immediately regretted pulling away. He felt he had to say something to smooth things over- to make it up to her. "It's just this whole situation," he said in a low voice. "Things like this are always happening to us."

"Well, it isn't the worst thing that's ever happened," Maggie said with a discontented sigh.

"No, definitely not," Price said. "Though there are a lot of things in the running for that." Maggie smiled ruefully in the dim light. She couldn't argue with that. "I- what I mean is, why do you and I always end up-" Suddenly they heard a low roar in the distance. Both of them cocked their heads to the side and listened carefully, Price's unfinished thought long forgotten.

"It's a snowmobile," Maggie said excitedly. "Help is on the way!"

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…...

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Claudia made her way quickly from the house to the lighthouse along the slippery path. She let herself in without a noise, and made her way to the lab she had seen the night before. The door to the lab was unlocked, just as it had been before. She turned the handle and pushed it open silently. The prototype was still there. Easily taken, but easily noticed if it went missing.

Claudia wondered if she could take it without really taking it. She wondered if she could locate some plans of the model. Anything that could be easily copied and a new model constructed from. It wasn't exactly what the boss wanted, but it would be better than getting caught and having nothing at all. The boss didn't think she would be suspected. She wasn't that stupid. She would never underestimate the Quests and their friends. That would be a huge mistake. A mistake the boss had made in the past.

Claudia approached the large desk in the corner of the lab. It was cluttered with all kinds of papers and pencils, a computer, and odd parts. She sifted through it, careful to put everything back just as it had been left. There it was. A diagram of the prototype. She took the paper and put it into the scanner hooked up to the computer.

Claudia took the time necessary to make a copy of the diagram and a few other things she had found on the desk. Once they printed out and everything was as she had found it, she let herself out of the lab and made her way back along the slippery path to the house. Maybe she could get the Wraith 3 too, if she played her cards right.

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…...

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When the snowmobiles began to materialize through the falling and blowing snow, Maggie and Price flagged them down. They recognized those machines in an instant, what with their Quest Enterprises logo on the black hoods.

Dr. Quest and Jonny pulled off their helmets the instant they reached the van. Maggie pushed her way through the drifting snow to hug them.

"Are the two of you okay?" Jonny asked.

"We're fine," Maggie said. "I just want to get back to the house where it's warm."

"You have no idea how glad I am to see you safe," Dr. Quest said as he hugged his niece again. "We'll go as soon as I secure the van." He plodded through the snow and opened the driver's door. Maggie knew he was using the keypad inset into the dashboard. When he was finished, he closed all the doors, making sure they were locked tight, and started back to the snowmobiles.

"Let's get out of here," Jonny suggested. There was unanimous agreement. Maggie climbed on behind her uncle, and Price climbed on behind Jonny. They sped into the trees away from the highway and toward home.

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…...

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The moment they stepped into the house, Claudia threw herself at Price, and he didn't object. Maggie avoided looking in their direction and headed for the stairs. She wasn't going to make herself miserable watching them.

"Are you okay?" Jonny asked her as she began to drag herself up the steps.

"My knee is a little stiff where I hurt it last winter. I'm going to take a hot bath," she said, not bothering to turn toward him. "Leave me in peace for a bit, will you?" Jonny didn't reply, and Maggie didn't care.

The bath did Maggie a lot of good. It warmed her up, and it relaxed her. She was refreshed, and she was ready to face Price and Claudia again. Dressed warmly in jeans and a lavender ski sweater, Maggie went downstairs where she found a blazing fire in the living room fireplace. She threw some cushions down on the floor before the fire and curled up in a blanket, staring at the leaping flames.

"Don't you look all cozy," a biting voice interrupted Maggie's thoughts. Maggie turned to look at the hard expression on Claudia's face.

"I'm quite comfortable," Maggie replied with little feeling. She didn't like Claudia's tone very much, but she kept her opinions to herself where this guest was concerned.

"I wouldn't go far from that spot," Claudia said ominously, "Things are liable to happen to you." Maggie opened her mouth to demand what Claudia meant by that, but she was interrupted by Jonny and her uncle.

"Taking advantage of my fire, I see," Dr. Quest said to Maggie with a smile. "You probably didn't think I knew how to light that fireplace." Maggie shook her head dumbly, not sure how to react after that strange exchange with Claudia. "Well, I do, and that is my handiwork you are currently enjoying."

"I brought soup," Jonny said, carrying a tray of mugs in after his father. "You're probably starving. I know I am, and soup will warm you up."

"Thank-you," Maggie said as she accepted a mug from her cousin.

"I just called the sheriff's department," Price said joining everyone, taking a seat next to Claudia, draping an arm over her shoulders. "They said the roads will be cleared in a few hours and the airport up in Bangor is already landing planes. There should be no problem picking up Hadji. Mother should be in on the train by dark. That storm was mostly blowing snow. Apparently we only got about five inches, which isn't that much for the time it all took to fall."

"That's a relief," Maggie said. "One other thing, though, I need the groceries, and the turkey from the van. Someone needs to either get it out of the ditch, or go and get the food."

"All right," Dr. Quest said. "I'll go up to Bangor and get Hadji from the airport. Price can go and get his mother. Jonny, you are in charge of the van and getting the food."

"I think I'll go with you, Jonny," Maggie said, starting to get up.

"Nah, you don't need to come. I can manage," Jonny told her.

"If you say so," Maggie replied with a shrug.

"What about you, Claudia," Price asked. "Are you going to come along with me to pick up my mother?"

"I shouldn't go out with this cold," Claudia said with a sniffle. "I will be waiting here when she arrives. I look forward to meeting her very much."

"Okay," Price said with obvious disappointment. "If you think that's best."

"Well," Jonny said, breaking up the tense moment. "I'm going now. I don't want to be out after dark. We need to get started on tomorrow's dinner right away."

"What's this WE business?" Maggie asked in a teasing voice. "All the help you're going to be is _tasting_ everything to make sure it'll agree with your stomach."

"Well, somebody's got to do it," Jonny said.

"And I'm sure you're just loathing to be that somebody," Maggie said in irritation.

"I'm prepared to make the sacrifice," Jonny replied. The next thing he knew, a flying pillow knocked him in the head, and he tripped over Bandit and landed on the floor in a tangled mess. Jonny glared indignantly over at his cousin while the others laughed.

"Just go and get that food or there won't be anything for you to taste test," Maggie told him with a laugh. Jonny got up and headed for the closet by the door to get his warm outdoor clothes.

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…...

Claudia tip toed down the main stairs on her way to the kitchen. Everyone was gone on their errands, and Maggie was napping in the living room near the fire. Claudia was on a mission. She had taken the little terror dog and shut him in an upstairs bedroom. She couldn't have the mutt interfering with her work. She still had an accident to arrange.

She stealthily crept into the living room where Maggie lay asleep, making sure she wouldn't wake for some time. Seeing her in deep slumber so close to the hearth of the fire in her tangled mass of blankets gave Claudia an idea. She carefully opened the screen and picked up the small shovel hanging on the rack by the fire. She used it to pick out a hot, glowing ember from the fire. She carefully scooped it up without getting any ash with it, and she dropped it at Maggie's feet into the folds of the blanket tucked in around her. She silently replaced the little shovel and closed the screen, then got herself out of the living room to the back stairs where she made her way up to her room.

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…...

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To be continued…

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	4. Suspicion and Jealousy

Disclaimer: Please see chapter one.

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Warnings: Overall Rating of PG.

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A Note From the Author: 10-27-13 I hadn't meant to go this long between chapters. It is what it is. Considering that I was MIA for several _years_ during the posting of "Continental Divide," a month between updates isn't so bad! ~Sapphire

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The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest

Day of Reckoning

By: Sapphire

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Chapter Four: Suspicion and Jealousy

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…...

Jonny could see headlights turn in behind him as he rounded the corner of the main drive near the house. He pulled up by the kitchen door, a convenient place to unload the groceries. He cut the engine and climbed out of the driver's seat, then ran around to the front of the house, hoping to see Hadji and his dad back from the airport. He was a little disappointed when it was Price's rented car that pulled up to the house.

"Mrs. Hovand, good to see you," Jonny greeted after running around the side of the car and opening the door for her. She stepped out and gave Jonny a quick hug.

"Now, young Jonathan," she said. "You can call me Abigail, you know. You needn't be so formal with me."

"All right, Abigail. Welcome to the compound," Jonny said. Abigail laughed happily. Before anyone could say another word, they heard the faint sounds of a cry for help. Jonny and Price knew instantly that it was coming from the house. They took off running for the front door. Abigail followed them as fast as she possibly could.

Jonny made it to the door first, and as he burst through it, he could hear Maggie's frantic cries coming from the living room. He rounded the corner to the big room at breakneck speed, Price just footsteps behind him. They were confronted by the sight of Maggie struggling to untangle herself from burning blankets in front of the fire.

"Maggie!" Jonny shouted, jumping over a footrest on his way to help her. Price grabbed hold of Maggie, and Jonny grabbed hold of the smoldering blankets. "Ahh!" he shouted when he felt them singe the skin on his hands. He didn't let that stop him, though. He pulled hard at the blankets, peeling them from Maggie as Price pulled her away from them.

"Jonny!" Maggie exclaimed as she kicked her feet free of the last of the twisted blankets. She freed herself from Price's grasp and ran over to Jonny, grabbing his wrists and taking a look at his upturned palms while Price put out the burning blankets. "I'm taking you in to the emergency room," Maggie said with a grimace. "It's not good."

"What happened?" Claudia asked suddenly from the top of the stairs. Price looked up at her. He wondered where she had been and why it had taken her so long to respond to Maggie's cry for help. Then he mentally kicked himself. It may have seemed like hours had passed since he and Jonny first heard Maggie's screams, but in reality, it had been barely a minute.

"Maggie's blankets were on fire," he answered her. Claudia looked horrified.

"I hope she is okay," she said, sounding quite sincere.

"Are you okay? You're not burned?" Jonny asked with more concern for his cousin than himself, trying to ignore Claudia and Price. Maggie shook her head.

"You and Price are to thank for that. Now, let me take care of you." She disappeared into the kitchen and returned quickly with two fresh dish towels. She wrapped each one loosely around each hand to keep any debris or germs out. Then she slipped on her shoes and coat and took him out to the garage and got him into a car with some help from Price.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Price asked as he helped Maggie get Jonny into the car.

"I'm positive," Maggie assured him. "And thank you." Then she climbed into the car and closed the door. Price stepped back away from the car as Maggie started the engine. He stood there and watched as she backed out of the garage and drove off down the drive and disappeared around the bend behind the evergreen trees.

.

…...

.

Dr. Quest looked out the window for the hundredth time since he had gotten home from the airport with Hadji. He had heard all about the accident, and wouldn't be satisfied that either Maggie or Jonny were all right until he saw them both for himself. As he paced before the window of the living room, he thought of Race Bannon doing that very same thing on a number of occasions. Dr. Quest thought either he'd picked it up from the ex I-one agent, or maybe the two of them were more alike than he had assumed.

When Maggie and Jonny drove up to the house and stopped out front, Dr. Quest and Hadji were there to meet them, worried looks on their faces. Maggie climbed out of the car and went around to let Jonny out.

"Dad, you're back," Jonny said by way of greeting him. "You'll never guess what's happened around here the last two days, Hadj." The two brothers gave each other a hug, Jonny being careful not to touch anything with his bandaged hands.

"We heard what happened to you," Hadji said. "What did the doctor say?"

"My hands have second degree burns," Jonny said with a scowl. "I have to keep them wrapped up and clean and dry. But they'll heal and be good as new." Dr. Quest took his son inside the house out of the cold. He was relieved that it wasn't any worse, though he didn't quite know how to say so.

"And you are all right?" Hadji asked, turning to Maggie. She nodded. Hadji gave her a hug as well. "Will you tell me exactly what happened?"

"Yes," Maggie said with a nod of her head. "I simply woke up and saw the smoke and flames. I started to call for help and tried to get the blankets off, but they were wound all around me. The next thing I knew, Jonny and Price were pulling the blankets off of me, and Jonny burned his hands." Hadji nodded.

"I suppose none of us will be sleeping in front of the fire again," Hadji said.

"No, I guess not," Maggie replied as they followed Jonny and Dr. Quest into the house.

.

…...

.

Later that evening, hiding out in the kitchen, Maggie was distracting herself by beginning the task of cooking for the family's Thanksgiving dinner the next day. She had the turkey thawing in the refrigerator and there was a bowl of gelatin setting on the shelf above it. Jonny was sitting on a stool, watching two pumpkin pies cooling on the counter. There were two apple pies baking in the oven, and two more pies, one pumpkin and the other cherry, ready to go in when the two apple pies were done. Maggie was busy setting out all the non perishable items she needed for the next day.

"Why so many pies?" Jonny asked, taking in a lung full of delicious pumpkin smell.

"I promised Mrs. Evans I'd make a few extra for the community center. She's going to come by and pick them up before noon. When she told me she was volunteering to work there tomorrow, I volunteered to provide some dessert."

"Are any of these for us?" Jonny asked.

"Of course, silly," Maggie said. "One pumpkin and one apple are for our dessert."

"I don't suppose I can have any right now?" Jonny asked.

"Not a piece of pie," Maggie told him. "But I made a peach cobbler earlier."

"Hadji's favorite," Jonny commented. "I bet he'll want some."

"You're probably right," Maggie told him. "Why don't you go and get him. He can have some, too." Jonny hurried out of the room to get Hadji.

Minutes later, Maggie was dishing up three plates of the cobbler. Maggie and Hadji had to take turns feeding Jonny because he couldn't hold onto the fork with his bandaged hands.

"I hate being spoon fed," Jonny said with a sigh. Then he shrugged. "Another bite please." Maggie and Hadji laughed, then Maggie held up another bite for him on his fork.

"It'll only be for a few days," Maggie said. "Those burns should heal fast, the doctor said." Jonny noticed Hadji wasn't very talkative. In fact, he seemed to be deeply preoccupied with something.

"Hey Hadj," Jonny said between bites, "What's on your mind. It's a holiday. Quit being so serious."

"Something about that fire is not right," Hadji said. "I do not understand how it started. Price said it must have been a spark, but Maggie is not careless."

"You're right, Hadji," Jonny said with a nod.

"Perhaps the spark flew out when I added wood to the fire," Maggie contemplated. "Maybe I just didn't notice it."

"It would be possible," Hadji admitted, "though I very much doubt it."

"I thought I was careful this time, too, but I was tired. Maybe too tired..." Maggie trailed off into thought.

"It was just a freak accident," Jonny said moments later. "I don't know how else to explain it, and freak accidents do happen."

"But not to this family," Maggie said with a heavy sigh. "I can't help but wonder what's going on that I'm not aware of. But nothing comes to mind that makes sense." Hadji shook his head.

"I cannot think of a thing, either," he said. "It is very strange." Maggie got up to check on her last two pies and Hadji began to clear away their dishes from the cobbler.

"Will you do me a favor, Hadji?" Maggie asked, closing the oven door. Hadji nodded. "In ten minutes, will you take these two pies out of the oven? They'll be done. I want to go over to the lighthouse and go up on the catwalk for a while. I need to clear my head. I've had a rough two days." Hadji nodded.

"Of course," he said, quite aware of his American cousin's tendency to seek refuge up on the lighthouse catwalk. He knew she only went up there when she was really upset about something.

"Thanks," Maggie said as she headed for the front door where she had left her coat and shoes.

"Why do you suppose she is going up to the lighthouse?" Hadji asked Jonny when she was gone.

"Because of Claudia, probably," Jonny answered.

"Claudia?" Hadji asked. "What could she have done to Maggie?"

"Nothing," Jonny said. "Nothing except agree to marry Price."

"I did not realize she was engaged to marry Price," Hadji said, still confused.

"No one is supposed to know," Jonny said. "Price accidentally told Maggie, and she told me."

"Surely Maggie is happy for them?" Hadji said. Jonny shook his head.

"I once overheard Maggie and Jessie talking about Price. Maggie loves him."

"Why did you not tell me?" Hadji demanded. "Why am I the last to know things?" Jonny looked at Hadji in surprise.

"Jeez. I didn't know about your penchant for gossip." Jonny couldn't hold back a laugh. It was unusual for Hadji to do anything other than keep his nose out of other people's business. "I was sworn to secrecy. And anyway, I didn't think it mattered to you much." Hadji gave him a disgruntled look.

"I assume Maggie still harbors feelings for Price?" Hadji said. Jonny gave a nod. "I understand why she wishes to keep that to herself, and how difficult it must be to see Price and Claudia together."

"Worse," Jonny said, "since Maggie was stuck in the van with Price last night."

"Stuck in the van?" Hadji asked curiously.

"Dad didn't tell you?" Jonny asked. Hadji shook his head. "Have I got a story for you. It's like this..."

.

…...

.

Claudia watched as Maggie put on her shoes and coat and bundled up warmly. Dr. Quest, Abigail, and Price were all in the library, and she was in the living room alone. She watched Maggie finish getting ready and leave the house. Claudia saw opportunity written all over it. She had been upset that nothing worse had happened in the fire incident other than Jonny being burned. Too bad he and Price had to come home when they did.

Now she needed to try again. So, getting up from her place on the couch, Claudia put her own coat and shoes on and followed Maggie out the door. Claudia saw Maggie was headed for the lighthouse. When she disappeared inside, Claudia took off at a run for the building. Once there, she crept inside and listened for any sounds from within. She heard the last few fading footsteps as Maggie climbed the iron stairs to the catwalk. Then she heard a door squeak open and click closed.

Carefully, Claudia made her way up the steps to the glass enclosed level of the light with the door to the outer catwalk. She could clearly see Maggie in the glow of the powerful lighthouse beacon. She stood there, leaning against the rail, facing into the whipping wind, looking off into the darkness at nothing. She didn't seem to be going anywhere any time soon. Claudia made her way back down the stairs quietly as she came up with a plan.

The stairs were a steep, iron spiral heading up into the lighthouse. Claudia bent down and examined a step carefully. It simply hooked to the frame of the stairs by brackets. She lifted a middle step from it's brackets and took it to the bottom of the steps. She searched the lighthouse for some tools. She was pleased when she found a tool box in a storage closet by the entrance. She took a pliers from it and went back to the stairs. She took the pliers and gripped one of the four hooks of the step between it's metal jaws. She forced it back and fourth over and over again, weakening it's strength to the point where it was ready to break off. Then she started on the next hook. It took her less than a minute to accomplish the task. Quickly, she carefully replaced the step and deposited the pliers back in the tool box. She looked upon her handiwork with a vicious smile knowing that the next person to step there would take a nasty fall. She left the lighthouse and made her way back to the main house.

.

…...

.

When the icy wind began to bite through all her layers of warm clothes, Maggie knew it was time to get down form the catwalk. She made her way to the door and let herself inside. Maggie was stiff from the cold and made her way clumsily down the iron spiral stairs. As she descended, she stepped down and heard a loud pop, then suddenly, there was nothing under her feet.

She let out a startled shriek as she fell downward, bouncing off the iron handrail and the wall like a rag doll. When she finally landed in a heap at the bottom of the steps, she had to convince herself she wasn't dead. And when she had assured herself she was still alive, she had a hard time believing that nothing was paralyzed, broken, or even sprained.

"What the hell happened?" she asked herself angrily as she slowly got up off the floor. "I can't believe I tripped and fell on the stairs." To move was painful, and she knew she hadn't escaped numerous bruises. She walked to the stairs and climbed them, carefully examining the steps. "It broke," Maggie said in shock. "It shouldn't have broken." She picked up the iron step hanging half on the iron staircase. She took it off completely and examined the broken side. "That's funny," she said to herself.

She couldn't be sure, but it looked as though the hooks that held the step in place had been weakened, from being bent repeatedly, and then had just snapped off under her weight. She thought back to when she had gone up to the catwalk. She hadn't noticed any of the steps being loose or sagging under her weight. They had all seemed fine, she decided.

"I wonder if this has any connection with the incident from this afternoon," she asked aloud. "That's crazy, that's paranoia," she argued with herself. "But still. I don't believe in coincidences." She thought some more. "If someone were up to no good, who could it be, who could that person be targeting, and what's the motive?" She shook her head with what came to mind. "No," she told herself firmly. "I won't go around accusing people of terrible things just because I'm jealous."

Maggie shook herself back into reality. She removed the broken step from obstructing the stairway before leaving the lighthouse. Then she made her way back to the house.

.

…...

.

Claudia watched from her window as Maggie hurried along the path back to the house. Another idea down the tubes. She'd have to try something a little more drastic the next time. And the next time, she had to succeed. She was sure Maggie was getting suspicious by now. She couldn't afford to have Maggie figure out what was going on right under her nose. This time she would do better. She would make sure that Maggie Hardy never saw another sunset. The boss was counting on her, after all.

.

…...

.

"You look like you just saw a ghost," Jonny said when Maggie came into the house through the kitchen door. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Maggie said wearily. "I'm going up to bed," she told him and Hadji as she removed her heavy jacket and her shoes.

"What is that dark mark on your forehead?" Hadji asked, noticing the darkening bruise against her unusually pale skin. He carefully observed her for any other physical clues that might explain what was wrong.

"Nothing," Maggie said. "The wind whipped the door open, and it hit me in the face is all," Maggie told him. She didn't give them a chance to dispute her story and left the room, headed for the back stairs.

"I believe she just told us a lie," Hadji said in surprise.

"How do you know?" Jonny asked. "It sounds logical to me."

"When a man lies, he kills a part of his soul," Hadji explained. "I saw it in her eyes. She was speaking a lie."

"Why would she lie about something like that?" Jonny wondered. "It isn't like her."

"I do not know, Jonny," Hadji said. "And I cannot begin to guess."

.

…...

.

To be continued…

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.


End file.
